Hasina invites Indian investors to Bangladesh

New Delhi, April 10 : Declaring that nothing would ever "spoil" the special relationship with India, visiting Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday invited Indian business to invest in her country, assuring all facilities to ease doing business in order to defeat the "common enemy of poverty".

"Our relations are very good...one that cannot ever be spoilt," the Bangladesh Prime Minister said, recalling the sacrifices of Indian servicemen in the country's Liberation War of 1971 at an interactive session here organised by industry chambers Ficci, CII and Assocham.

"The Indian business community is very rich. I invite them to come and invest in Bangladesh and avail the opportunities of its large market. I assure them all facilities," she said.

Noting that Bangladesh has 100 special economic zones to attract foreign investment, Hasina said: "Special economic zones in Mongla, Bheramara and Mirshorai have been exclusively dedicated for Indian investors."

"We have an Indo-Bangla investment agreement in place to protect your investment. We are providing attractive packages including 100 per cent repatriation of profits."

Hasina is accompanied by one of the largest-ever business delegations to India. Bilateral trade is currently worth around $650 million.

On Saturday, India and Bangladesh signed 22 agreements here, including as many as five on defence cooperation, while New Delhi extended to Dhaka Lines of Credit worth $5 billion following bilateral talks headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart.

The two countries also signed a historic civil nuclear cooperation agreement while Modi assured Hasina of an "early solution" to the Teesta waters sharing issue.